What Are The Worst Character Designs You Have Ever Seen?

[From The Uncanny Valley]

The thing that blows my mind is that Sailor Moon already had LGBT characters and handled them better than most of the stuff that comes out nowadays. It’s almost like Haruka and Michiru were characters first and “cousins” second.

Also, the title annoys me more than the character’s designs. (I have no real opinion based on that single screenshot.) Even if it’s supposed to be a parody, it sounds like a placeholder name taken from an anime title generator.

Also, fuck it. Let’s sperg about kids’ anime.

Spoiler: Precure rambling

The uniforms themselves are fine imo (I prefer simpler outfits like those in Fresh and Heartcatch) but the hair is crazy even by Precure standards. I wouldn’t personally call them bad, they’re at least unique, but their normal hairstyles are cuter.

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Still beats poor Mint and her rattail, at least.

(Also, I didn't want to quote you twice but I think Muse and her pumpkin skirt are more ridiculous than Melody. Rhythm is cute though.)

Precure is known for its overly complicated designs, even compared to other mahou shoujo series. It’s part of its charm imo. They’re busy, but usually not too garish.

Then they bring out the super forms.

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Cosmo, what did they do to your hair? (The rest can be seen here. Special mention goes to Soleil’s scale hair; 10 cans of hair spray or magic? You decide!)

Haven’t seen How to Draw Manga style art in a while. She'd be cute if the eyes were closer.

They're claiming Uranus is "nonbinary uwu" now. I'm dead serious.

 

[Brit Crust]

What the fuck even is this?

Her only appearance was in the episode "Love Triangle." See what we did there? She's a triangle, just like the title! Aren't we so clever?

 

[PopRocks]

What the fuck even is this?

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Her only appearance was in the episode "Love Triangle." See what we did there? She's a triangle, just like the title! Aren't we so clever?

I mean, the two main characters in the episode are literally a sphere and a cube so there's that.

 

[MysticMisty]

They're claiming Uranus is "nonbinary uwu" now. I'm dead serious.

Let me guess, their "proof" besides the usual "because I said so, shitlord, and disagreeing makes you homophobic, transphobic, and anti-LGBT" tumblr bullshit, is because she crossdresses. Even though it's meant to emphasize her as a butch dyke in contrast to Michiru who is extremely feminine and elegant, and I think is common way to depict lesbians in Japanese media anyways.

 

[One Man Bland]

Let me guess, their "proof" besides the usual "because I said so, shitlord, and disagreeing makes you homophobic, transphobic, and anti-LGBT" tumblr bullshit, is because she crossdresses. Even though it's meant to emphasize her as a butch dyke in contrast to Michiru who is extremely feminine and elegant, and I think is common way to depict lesbians in Japanese media anyways.

From what I remember, it’s based on a mistranslation/poor wording from the original Japanese script. Sailor Moon’s creator often described her as "both man and woman" to try and explain that she was a butch lesbian:

But the particular phrases that she used in the original Japanese version were usually exclusive to describing intersex people/hermaphroditism. From what I understand she realized this later and clarified what she meant, but kept the language the same in later editions because it just sort of stuck.

So technically yes, but if we’re going by authorial intent she’s not non-binary the way Tumblr defines it.

 

[goma]

Ollie and Scoops

They all look like they're melting.

 

[BroccoliBrain]

Sailor Moon’s creator often described her as "both man and woman" to try and explain that she was a butch lesbian

They really need to take language, age and cultural barriers into account but we know stans never consider such nuance. I doubt Takeuchi meant Uranus is literally some kind of in-between, word of god can be flawed and in this instance I think we have a case of 'what is a butch lesbian' as described by a literal boomer. It looks like she was trying to be poetic about it but it comes out poorly in English when you don't have transgoggles strapped to your head.

 

[XYZpdq]

Takeuchi threw enough random shit into the comics that a futa isn't much of a stretch.

 

[DDBCAE CBAADCBE]

Am I the only one who thinks the Far Sector Green Lantern looks fucking stupid? Like a rejected Steven Universe character?

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I hate that every action adjacent show targeted at the SJW crowd has to shoehorn in Kamina glasses of some kind and constantly make references to other superior shows but more specifically TTGL. Is it just because TTGL was popular? I can't imagine people of their political persuasion would actually enjoy it considering the implications it's overarching plot.

 

[Agent Wet]

I hate that every action adjacent show targeted at the SJW crowd has to shoehorn in Kamina glasses of some kind and constantly make references to other superior shows but more specifically TTGL. Is it just because TTGL was popular? I can't imagine people of their political persuasion would actually enjoy it considering the implications it's overarching plot.

I'm Imagine that they probably did because hey everyone else is doing it and to look like care more about the material they are referencing when really all they have is just a some memory of it and a quick internet search.

 

[One Man Bland]

They really need to take language, age and cultural barriers into account but we know stans never consider such nuance. I doubt Takeuchi meant Uranus is literally some kind of in-between, word of god can be flawed and in this instance I think we have a case of 'what is a butch lesbian' as described by a literal boomer. It looks like she was trying to be poetic about it but it comes out poorly in English when you don't have transgoggles strapped to your head.

Like I said, that’s more a thing with the translation, but the reason why it was translated that way was because in the original Japanese the phrase Takeuchi used roughly meant “she-male” or hermaphrodite. But she did indeed clarify later it was because she was trying to find a way to describe her as being butch.

 

[vanilla_pepsi_head]

Anyone else try to play Dust: An Elysian Tale? I don't fuck with weeb shit so I don't know if this art style is typical or what but the whole character cast looks like something off a teenager's DeviantArt. It could have been a mediocre to decent Metroidvania but I couldn't even get through the game because of the lame story, annoying combat system, but mostly it was the downright grating voice acting and furry fap fest art style that completely put me off.

First off the main characters looked like this. And even this is extremely generous and rather deceiving because the actual in-game renders have inconsistent anatomy, doofy facial expressions and look like they were badly shaded with the dodge and burn tools in Photoshop:

Then I kept running into these shits

I got it for free off PS Plus but I'd be pissed if I paid because I just couldn't look or listen to it anymore after a few hours.

 

[FluffyTehFennekin]

Anyone else try to play Dust: An Elysian Tale? I don't fuck with weeb shit so I don't know if this art style is typical or what but the whole character cast looks like something off a teenager's DeviantArt. It could have been a mediocre to decent Metroidvania but I couldn't even get through the game because of the lame story, annoying combat system, but mostly it was the downright grating voice acting and furry fap fest art style that completely put me off.

First off the main characters looked like this. And even this is extremely generous and rather deceiving because the actual in-game renders have inconsistent anatomy, doofy facial expressions and look like they were badly shaded with the dodge and burn tools in Photoshop:
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Then I kept running into these shits
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I got it for free off PS Plus but I'd be pissed if I paid because I just couldn't look or listen to it anymore after a few hours.

lol, they look like rejected Neopets characters, like seriously! Like one of anthro Lupe characters from one the spin-offs

 

[From The Uncanny Valley]

Anyone else try to play Dust: An Elysian Tale? I don't fuck with weeb shit so I don't know if this art style is typical or what but the whole character cast looks like something off a teenager's DeviantArt. It could have been a mediocre to decent Metroidvania but I couldn't even get through the game because of the lame story, annoying combat system, but mostly it was the downright grating voice acting and furry fap fest art style that completely put me off.

First off the main characters looked like this. And even this is extremely generous and rather deceiving because the actual in-game renders have inconsistent anatomy, doofy facial expressions and look like they were badly shaded with the dodge and burn tools in Photoshop:
View attachment 1182006

Then I kept running into these shits
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I got it for free off PS Plus but I'd be pissed if I paid because I just couldn't look or listen to it anymore after a few hours.

I love it when furries bash weebs then produce garbage like this. The irony is delicious.

 

[Pop-Tart]

I love it when furries bash weebs then produce garbage like this. The irony is delicious.

Ok Weebs. Nomura alone fucked character design for years.

 

[CaboLaptas65]

Anyone else try to play Dust: An Elysian Tale? I don't fuck with weeb shit so I don't know if this art style is typical or what but the whole character cast looks like something off a teenager's DeviantArt. It could have been a mediocre to decent Metroidvania but I couldn't even get through the game because of the lame story, annoying combat system, but mostly it was the downright grating voice acting and furry fap fest art style that completely put me off.

First off the main characters looked like this. And even this is extremely generous and rather deceiving because the actual in-game renders have inconsistent anatomy, doofy facial expressions and look like they were badly shaded with the dodge and burn tools in Photoshop:
View attachment 1182006

Then I kept running into these shits
View attachment 1181997
View attachment 1182003
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View attachment 1182005

I got it for free off PS Plus but I'd be pissed if I paid because I just couldn't look or listen to it anymore after a few hours.

I got the game for cheap during the 2019 Steam winter sale, and while I do enjoy the gameplay (despite the fact that it's just bootleg furry Odin Sphere)... the character design just ain't that great. Like Fluffy said, they look like goddamn Neopets.

 

[Meat Poultry Veg]

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Ok Weebs. Nomura alone fucked character design for years.

My headcanon for Nomura's design philosophy is that Symmetry broke into his home when he was child and slit his father's throat, forced his mother to drink the blood and then raped her until she died of exhaustion. Hence abominations like Tidus and every FF main since.

 

[I Love Beef]

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Ok Weebs. Nomura alone fucked character design for years.

At least Nomura didn't create that abomination. I don't even know where you're getting your information from.

At least Nomura has an excuse: He's a fashion whore, so he usually follows what people are trending down in his part of Tokyo. Only reason why he did zippers was for Kingdom Hearts, because he noticed that youth fashion was big into zippers during that time.

BTW, anyone who claims "Nomura ruined character design" can go read a shit stained book of Lord of the Rings like Spoony. Let me know how that goes.

Anyone else try to play Dust: An Elysian Tale? I don't fuck with weeb shit so I don't know if this art style is typical or what but the whole character cast looks like something off a teenager's DeviantArt. It could have been a mediocre to decent Metroidvania but I couldn't even get through the game because of the lame story, annoying combat system, but mostly it was the downright grating voice acting and furry fap fest art style that completely put me off.

First off the main characters looked like this. And even this is extremely generous and rather deceiving because the actual in-game renders have inconsistent anatomy, doofy facial expressions and look like they were badly shaded with the dodge and burn tools in Photoshop:
View attachment 1182006

Then I kept running into these shits
View attachment 1181997
View attachment 1182003
View attachment 1182004
View attachment 1182005

I got it for free off PS Plus but I'd be pissed if I paid because I just couldn't look or listen to it anymore after a few hours.

All of this shit looks like something from a webcomic. The coloring, everything about it has that scummy faux-anime coloring feel. Then there's the furry design... Something about furry based character design tells me it's like virtuesignalling a gay character for some reason. Guess it must be the yiffing.

 

[CaboLaptas65]

Arknights... It's yet another piece of gacha trash with weebs and wales infesting it as usual with the only things making itself different from the others is that it's a tower defense game and there's a fair amount of uwu anime boys...

Complete with lolis with donkey ears! Seriously, I don't think donkey ears makes an anime girl cuter and easier to take seriously.

 

[Clorox Cowboy]

Complete with lolis with donkey ears! Seriously, I don't think donkey ears makes an anime girl cuter and easier to take seriously.

That isn't a loli and she has bunny ears not donkey ears. The art and design are actually quite good and fitting for the game world.
Arknights distinguishes itself by having a large amount of nekomimi (animal ear girls) in the form of a race called The Ancients. The Ancients are divided up into different factions and races based on their animal characteristics and she is a Cautus or bunny girl.
Arknights isn't too horribly impressive in it's writing or world building, but for what it is it's more fleshed out than most Gacha. The nekomimi make sense in context and their aren't many terrible designs in it.
If I had to list a dumb designs from the game though I think I'd say Waai Fu.

Leaning more kemono than nekomimi is not a problem, as I've already explained this is a world with animal people. The problem is the fact that on top of nonsensical clothes which shouldn't even work the color scheme is absolute shit.
The girl has tiger fur which is orange, white, and black. The clothes she's wearing are also orange, white, and black. This leads to a design that is difficult to read at a distance and looks cluttered.
Her hair is also trash and looks too busy drawing your eye away from her actual face.